Part IV
Appendix to
Muhammadan Months
1. Muharram.
2. Safar.
3. Rabia-el-awal.
4. Rabia-el-akhir.
5. Jumad-el-awal.
6. Jumad-el-akhir.
7. Rejab.
8. Sha’aban.
9. Ramazan.
10. Shawal.
11. Zu’l-ka’adah.
12. Zu’l-hajah.
Days of the Week
Sunday, Ahad, lit. “the first.”
Monday, Isnein or Senein, lit. “the second.”
Tuesday, Salasa, lit. “the third.”
Wednesday, Arba’ah or Rabu, lit. “the fourth.”
Thursday, Khamis, lit. “the fifth.”
Friday, Juma’at, lit. “the congregation.”
Saturday, Sabtu, lit. “Sabbath.”
Periods of Prayer
1. Maghrib, a few minutes after sunset.
2. ‘Isha, evening, after dark.
3. Subh, daybreak.
4. Lohor, or Dluḥr, between noon and 1 P.M.
5. Asr, afternoon, midway between noon and nightfall.
Malay Phrases for Divisions of Time
1. Belum terbang lalat, “Before the flies are astir,” just before daybreak.
2. Pechah panas, “When the heat commences,” sun-up.
3. Kĕring ambun, “When the dew dries,” about 8 A.M.
4. Tengah naik, “When the sun is half-way,” 9 A.M.
5. Tulih tenggala, “When the plough is idle.”1
6. Tengah hari tĕpat, “Mid-day exactly,” noon.
7. Rambang, “Right in the middle” (i.e. the sun in the sky), noon.
8. Buntar membayang, “When the shadows are round” (i.e., when your shadow is round your feet), noon.
9. Ber-alis hari, “When the day changes,” afternoon.
10. Lepas ba’adah, and lepas ba’adah salah, “After (Friday’s) prayers (in the mosque),” about 1.30 P.M.
11. Turun kerbau be-rendam, “When the buffaloes go down to the water,” about 5 P.M.
12. Jindĕra budak, “When the children have gone to sleep,” about 10 P.M.
Malay Proper Names
The proper names common to the whole Muhammadan world, many of which are Hebrew also, are in use among the Malays. It is common, however, to abbreviate them in a manner peculiarly Malay. For example, “Muhammad” is shortened to “Mat,” “Ibrahim” becomes “Brahim” and “Him,” and for “Isahak,” “Sahak” and “Ak” are often heard.
Certain names are also in use, which, either used by themselves or prefixed to other proper names, show the relative seniority of a person in his or her family. In Kedah, Penang, &c., three of these are commonly used, “Long,” “Ngah,” and “Busuk:”—
Long is equivalent to Sulong, “eldest,”
Ngah is equivalent to Tengah, “middle,”
Busuk is equivalent to Bongsu, “youngest.”
In Perak seven of these names are in use:—
1. Long.
2. Ngah.
3. Alang.
4. Panjang.
5. Pandah.
6. Uda.
7. Utih.
Weights and Measures
| 16 | tahil, | 1 kati.2 | |
| 100 | kati, | 1 pikul. | |
| 3 | pikul, | 1 bahara. | |
| 40 | pikul, | 1 koyan. |
Goldsmith’s Weight
| 12 saga, | 1 mayam. | |
| 16 mayam, | 1 bungkal.3 | |
| 12 bungkal, | 1 kati. |
Capacity
| 4 | chupak, | 1 gantang.4 | ||
| 10 | gantang, | 1 parah. | ||
| 16 | gantang, | 1 nalih. | ||
| 160 | gantang, | 1 kunchah. | ||
| 5 | kunchah | or 800 gantang | 1 koyan. | |
Linear
| 2 | jingkal | (span), | 1 hasta (cubit). | |
| 2 | hasta, | 1 ela (yard). | ||
| 4 | hasta, | 1 dĕpa (fathom). | ||
| 2 | dĕpa, | 1 jumba. | ||
| 20 | jumba, | 1 orlong (80 yards). | ||
Square Measure
400 jumba, 1 orlong.
The jumba is equal to 144 square feet; the orlong is equal to 6400 square feet, or about 1⅓ acre (1 acre, 1 rood, 12 perches).
Money
The currency in the Straits of Malacca is the Spanish dollar (ringgit or real) divided into cents. A quarter of a dollar (25 cents) is called suku (quarter). Local terms are also used to denote fractions of the dollar, as in Penang, kupang (= 10 cents), and in Malacca, wang baharu (= 2½ cents).
In the native states on the west coast of the peninsula, the currency of the British settlements has almost entirely displaced that which was in use before. In Perak lumps of tin were formerly current as coin; in addition to these Dutch and Spanish silver coins were also employed.
The following are some of the old modes of reckoning:—
Tin Coinage
| 2 boya, | 1 tampang (value the 10th part of a dollar).5 | |
| 5 boya, | 1 bidor (value the 4th part of a dollar). |
Silver Coins Used in Weighing Gold
| 2 penjuru, | 1 piah, | weight 1 mayam. | ||
| 4 piah, | 1 jampal, | weight 4 mayam. | ||
| 2 jampal, | 1 real, | weight 8 mayam. |
Coins Formerly in Use
| 36 | duit hayam | (copper), | 1 wang (silver). | |
| 7 | wang, | 1 suku. | ||
1. Tulih tinggala muda is about 9 A.M., and tulih tinggala tuah about 11 A.M.
2. 1 kati = 1 lb. 6 oz. 13 drs.
3. 1 bungkal = the weight of two Spanish dollars = 832 grains.
4. 1 gantang contains 271.65 cubic inches, or 1¼ gallons nearly. The standard varies according to locality.
5. The weight of the tampang (in Perak) was one kati. It was a small cubical lump of tin, with a pattern stamped on it. The bidor weighed 2½ kati, or the 40th part of a pikul.